Simmer
by Kumorigoe
Summary: Asuka sees something in Shinji one evening while watching him cooking dinner. COMPLETE!
1. Iron Chef

Simmer  
By Kumorigoe  
***  
Shinji Ikari was having a fairly good day. There had been no Angel attacks, school had come and gone for the day, and the teacher, as usual, hadn't noticed that the entire class, including Hikari, had slept through his oft-recited Second Impact lecture. In fact, there was very little that could go wrong at this point.  
  
"SHINJI!"  
  
Scratch that.  
  
The young man in question winced at at the tone of the voice bellowing his name from the bathroom. Asuka Langley Soryu used this tone exclusively with him, it seemed. And it was never a good thing.  
  
"Y-yes, Asuka?"  
  
It was a good thing that Shinji was in the kitchen at the moment, because the sight of a towel-clad Asuka would have only served to instigate a massive nosebleed. The German firecracker glanced at the couch, where she had left her newly-purchased bottle of shampoo. Glancing towards the kitchen, she knew that she would never be able to get to it without Shinji catching a glimpse of her.   
  
"Shinji, could you get me the bottle of shampoo on the couch, and leave it outside the bathroom? I don't want to give you a heart attack or anything by getting it myself."  
  
Shinji began to turn red. "O-ok."  
  
He waited until he heard the door close, announcing the fact that Asuka was safely behind the door, before venturing into the living room. He immediately spied the bottle on the couch, and picked it up, reading the lable. It was a expensive brand, the scent of green tea. Curious, he opened the bottle for an experimental sniff.   
  
"Is there a problem out there?"  
  
Nearly dropping the bottle, he answered the redhead. "No, just wondering about the scent, that's all."  
  
Not wishing to agitate her further, he left the bottle in the prescribed area, before retreating back into the kitchen to start on dinner.  
***  
Asuka stood under the hot water, working the shampoo into her hair. The smell of green tea slowly permeated the air, soothing her. She had been tempted to try this brand after Hikari told her about it, wondering is the scent would have the same effects for her as it apparently did for Hikari. Standing there, the smell calming her normally firey attitude, she had to agree that it did.  
  
She vaguely wondered why Shinji took an interest. Of course she was the best looking girl in Tokyo-3, but she wouldn't expect him to actually show any interest in her, for fear of her killing him. Maybe he was growing up a little, perhaps even developing a spine.  
  
She dismissed this thought, deciding that all the hot water and the scent of green tea must be affecting her thinking. Turning the shower off, she stepped out, dressing for dinner.  
***  
Shinji stood in the kitchen, surveying his domain. The ingredients were laid out, ready to be transformed into a meal. For this evening, he had chosen an Italian dish, tiring of fixing ramen and miso soup constantly.  
  
Getting out a saucepan, he started on the alfredo sauce first, since the noodles wouldn't take as long to prepare. First, he put in the butter, keeping the heat low so as not to burn it, but just to melt it. While keeping an eye on this, he put the heavy cream and egg whites into a mixing bowl, whipping them into a froth with the wire whisk. When the consistency was right, he added it to the butter, blending them until smooth. Then came the parmmesian cheese, already grated. He was careful not to add too much, or the flavor would be too strong.  
  
Setting the sauce to simmer, he then went to the noodles, putting them into a large pot with plenty of water to boil. He didn't want them to stick to the pan, so he added a bit of butter and a pinch of salt.   
  
Having finished the hard part, he sat back to watch over the stove. He wasn't sure why, but cooking was a stress relief for him. It didn't require him to pilot, didn't make him feel guilt over a mistake, or a death. It was good for it's own sake.  
  
He didn't notice Asuka standing behind him, watching his every move. She had dressed, smelling something positively heavenly coming from the kitchen. Observing his skill in the culinary arts caused her normally caustic opening comment to die a quick death. He seemed so...confident. The shyness, the aloofness, none of that was present when he cooked. It was as if a completely different person took over. "Shinji?"  
  
The young man jumped, nearly knocking over a glass. "Don't DO that to me, you scared the hell out of me!"  
  
Turning, he saw Asuka standing there, a somewhat slack-jawed expression on her face. "What?"  
  
"You...you didn't apologize..."  
  
Shinji opened his mouth to argue, when he realized she was right. Normally, he would apologize to a lamppost, if he thought he'd offended it. But he'd just...yelled...at Asuka.  
  
More to the point, he'd yelled at Asuka, the "Red Headed Devil" Soryu, and lived.  
  
Something was definitely strange here.  
  
The sound of a lid clattering on an overflowing pot brought him back to his senses. Shinji turned, taking the top from the pot with the noodles, preventing the water from boiling over. Asuka watched this with a bemused expression on her face. There was something about Shinji actually showing some spine by yelling at her that she found...attractive.   
  
Shinji turned the burner down, the noodles weren't quite done yet. Replacing the lid, he turned back to the redhead, to find her with a predatory smile on her face. This sent a pang of fear through his body, as he remembered what had transpired last time she had worn that expression. He could practically feel his nose being squeezed shut as her lips-  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Hearing her speak snapped him out of his reviere. "What?" he snapped. She had interrupted him at his favorite part.  
  
Asuka gaped. He'd yelled at her twice, now. Oh yes, she liked this Ikari much better than the usual whiny, weak, wussy Shinji she was used to dealing with. "Whatever this is, it smells great, so you better hurry up with it, or I might get...bored...again."  
  
With that, she turned on her heel, and strode from the kitchen, leaving a speechless Shinji staring after her.  
***  
A/N  
I've been wanting to write my own Evangelion fic for a while now, and the idea struck me after Strike Fiss mentioned doing a "Tokyo-3 Iron Chef" fic. Thanks to him for the idea. Also, mad props go out to the crew at #fanfics, www.writeordie.org, and Corvus in particular, for helping to clear up some issues about this work. Thank you all! 


	2. Too many cooks

Simmer Chapter Two  
  
Misato Katsuragi entered the apartment fully expecting her two juvenile roomates to be arguing full-tilt. What greeted her, however, was a bit of a surprise, even for the battle-hardened Major.  
  
Asuka was sitting quietly at the table, waiting for Shinji to finish the wonderful-smelling food he was preparing. She wasn't yelling at him, wasn't calling him 'Stupid Shinji', or, the more common 'Baka!'.   
  
And Shinji...  
  
Shinji Ikari was confidently moving about the small kitchen, acting as if the entire place belonged to him, rather than just the room he slept in. His hands moved with skill and precision, almost without him even looking. It was as if he was piloting, except without the anger, without the sorrow. This was a joy for him, and it clearly showed.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
The two Children looked up, Asuka from her magazine, and Shinji from the stove, where the alfredo sauce was just about done. "Yes, Misato?" they both echoed in unison, a flashback to their synch training.  
  
She fought the urge to shudder. This was getting to be more than a little creepy. "Shin-kun, what's this?" she asked, dipping a finger into the saucepan.  
  
Shinji tried to stop her, but it was too little, too late. Misato yanked her finger from the bubbling liquid, cursing herself for her stupidity. Shinji sighed, taking her hand, and placing it under the faucet. Turning the cold water on, he held her burnt finger under the cool stream, soothing the pain. After a moment, she removed the afflicted digit from the sink, opting to suck on the tip instead. Shinji tried not to look at the way her lips were wrapped around the injured finger. "It's fetticine alfredo, Misato-san. If you would wait, I'll have it ready in a few minutes."  
  
"You'd better," Asuka piped up, "Because the longer I wait, the more bored I get..."  
  
Shinji turned to the stove, trying to hide the blush that had crept up on his face.  
***  
Several minutes later, dinner was finally set. Shinji dished out a helping of noodles, and added the sauce. he then served himself, sitting back and waiting for the two women to try the dish.  
  
Asuka didn't hesitate, spooling up a forkful and taking a big bite. She closed here eyes, savoring the creamy taste of the sauce and the perfectly cooked noodles. This was the best thing she had tastyed in a long time.  
  
Misato, seeing Asuka's determination, took a bite of her own serving. She chewed slowly, letting the flavors speak for themselves, a testament to the young man's skill in the kitchen. Shinji would definitely have to cook like this more often. "Shin-kun, this is excellent! Where did you learn to cook like this?"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Where do you think? I'm the only one around here that does cook, thankfully." He took a bite himself. "Not bad. The sauce needed a bit more cheese."  
  
Asuka, meanwhile, still eating, was looking at the young man with a sense of amamzement. "Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Baka-Shinji?" she inquired mildly.  
  
His expression fell a bit at that. For a moment, Asuka could see the old Ikari, the apologetic boy who was sorry for everything he did. He recomposed himself, though, and the confident Shinji was back again.  
  
"I'm still the same Shinji, I just like to cook."  
  
"I'm glad to hear it."  
  
Both Children looked to their guardian. She had finished her plate, and was dabbing at her lips with a napkin, something she would normally never do. "Because I think that it's time that Asuka learned how to cook."  
  
A stunned silence descended over the room. Asuka was the first one to break it. "I don't NEED to know how to cook , that's what Shinji is for!" She stood, resting her hands on her hips. And there is no way that I would allow this weakling to teach me how to cook!"  
  
Misato gave Asuka a skeptical look. She had lived with the German girl for long enough to know when her rants were genuine, and this was most definitely not one of them. "Asuka, step into the other room with me." Her tone left no room for argument. The two females left Shinji sitting there, a puzzled expression on his face.  
***  
Misato pointed to the couch. "Sit."  
  
Asuka sat.  
  
Misato gave her a look. Now there are the looks that mean trouble, and the looks that mean...*trouble* This was a *trouble* look.  
  
"Ok, what's going on between you and Shinji?"  
  
Asuka looked at the floor. "I...it's like he's a different person in the kitchen! He actually *yelled* at me today! Twice! And I didn't kill him!"  
  
The older woman nodded sageley. This was to be expected, and in fact, it was what she had suspected through dinner. Asuka had kept sneaking looks at the boy when she thought Misato wasn't looking. Of course, Misato was paying far more attention than she appeared to be, and knew about the glances, the furtive peeks.   
  
This was going to be fun.  
  
"Ok, Second Child. I can either help you, or make this harder than it's already going to be."  
  
Asuka looked up, catching Misato's eye. "And what makes you think that I need your help."  
  
Something in the return look made Asuka shiver. "Because if I suspect that you're toying with him, or doing this out of spite, I'm going to make your life a living hell. And don't think i can't, either."  
  
Misato turned, leaving the room.  
***  
Shinji looked up as Asuka entered the kitchen. "What was that all about?"  
  
"Never mind, Third Child. Would you like some help cleaning up?"  
  
He immediately went on guard. Asuka Soryu *never* offered help. "Uh, sure. You can start clearing the table."  
  
The young man began to wash the dishes, as Asuka handed them to him. This was something completely unexpected, and also something to be wary of.  
  
"Umm...what do you like to eat?"  
  
Asuka looked at him as if he was crazy. Shinji Ikari didn't make small talk. "Well, I suppose that I like Italian now." she said, a smile gracing her visage.  
  
Shinji turned to face her, catching the smile. He gave her a small one in return.  
  
"Good."  
***  
Later on that evening, Shinji sat in his room, going through a cookbook. He had wanted to find a good recipe to start teaching Asuka. However, he wasn't even sure how he would teach her even after finding a suitable first lesson. She was so...stubborn. And if past incidents were any indication, it would be a long, uphill battle just getting her to listen to him.  
  
Flipping through the pages, he saw many simple recipes, but nothing that seemed...right...for a beginner. Especially one that had already graduated college. He didn't want to patronize her, yet he wanted to show her that *he* would be the one in charge. Earlier, when he had inadvertently yelled at her, something had passed through her eyes, something he had never expected to see there.   
  
Respect.  
  
It had only been for an instant, but it *had* been there, nonetheless. Shinji wanted more, wanted to be respected by her so badly it hurt.  
  
And now, maybe he could be.  
***  
Asuka was going through a similar struggle in her room. As much as she despised her roomate, there was no denying that he had his...appealing qualities.   
  
Having gone to college, she had had more than her fair share of male attention. However, after discovering that most of them wanted nothing more than to get her in bed, she began to act like she currently did. As a result, none of the boys here had ever asked her out, more or less yelled at her.   
  
It was a new experience. After being the dominating one for so long, it was a refreshing change to not be in charge. Asuka actually found that she quite enjoyed it when Shinji showed a little backbone. And his cooking...  
  
She found herself nearly drooling at the thought of another dinner prepared by him. Shinji might not have been the best looking guy she'd been around, but he certainly was the most proficient in the kitchen. Even during her stay with Kaji, she'd never eaten so well, as the perpetually unshaven man seemed to never have the time to cook, instead ordering out on a nearly daily basis. Of course, as a result of this, Asuka never learned how to cook for herself either.  
  
But now that Shinji would be teaching her...  
  
She tried to supress the evil grin that crept up on her otherwise angelic face. She really did. As much as she attempted to tell herself that she would behave, she knew far too well that this was going to be a lot of fun.  
***The Next Morning***  
The alarm went off, and a hand reached out from the tangle of covers to silence it's inhuman noise. After slapping the snooze button, the occupant of the futon rolled over, trying in vain to go back to sleep. Today was Saturday, after all, and there were no test scheduled at headquarters, so there was no good reason to get up yet.  
  
But habits die hard, so Shinji got up anyway, thinking that at the least, he could have a quiet breakfast. Rolling out of his bed, he pulled on a fresh pair of slacks, and a t-shirt, one of the few that he owned. Forgoing socks and shoes, he left his room, heading for the kitchen.  
  
What he saw there made him pinch himself to ensure that he was indeed awake, and not merely sleepwalking.  
  
Asuka Langley Soryu was quietly fixing her own breakfast. Or rather, attempting to. The kitchen looked like an Evangelion had rampaged through it, dirtiying seemingly every clean plate, and leaving no countertop untouched. If Shinji was seeing everything correctly, it appeared that the young woman was trying to make pancakes.  
  
Shinji rarely made these, but he knew how, and they didn't require nearly so many pots, pans, plates, spoons, or bowls as Asuka had used so far. He stood there, watching her carefully measure out batter into a bowl, only to quietly curse the inanimate object in German when it didn't quite do what she wanted it to. A smile crept across his face as he realized how attractive she was when she wasn't actively screaming at him.  
  
Asuka finally managed to get the batter into one bowl without spilling most of it, and she set the mix down, turning to see her roomate regarding her with a bemused smile on his face. "Morning, Asuka."  
  
She started, her startled eyes quickly narrowing as she scowled at him. "How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Long enough to see that you're not so bad in the kitchen."  
  
The compliment took her off guard. Shinji would normally never say anything like that to her, for fear of bodily harm. "Is that right, Third Child?" she asked in a sultry voice.  
  
The young man had to mightily fight off thoughts of Asuka in an apron, and nothing else. It wasn't easy. "Well, I figured that I would fix breakfast, but you already seem to have that covered." He replied, a slight blush betraying him nonetheless.  
  
Asuka took immediate note of this, however. "Just because I can cook pancakes doesn't mean that you can be lazy all the time, Third," she shot back, hands on her hips. "After all, *you're* supposed to be teaching *me* how to cook, remember?"  
  
He fough back a snicker that would probably get him beaten later. "Not like this, I can't. There aren't any clean dishes or pans left in the apartment, I'm betting..."  
  
The firey girl's jaw dropped slightly. Shinji was...teasing her?  
  
Shinji, meanwhile, mistaking the look on her face for anger, quickly cast his eyes downward. "Sorry, Asuka."  
  
Her expression gentled somewhat. "It's okay, Shinji. I'm jsut not used to hearing complements, that's all."  
  
It was his turn to be stunned. "What? You, the prettiest girl in Tokyo-3?"  
  
She blushed, much to her chargrin.  
***  
Later on, after washing many dishes, and wiping down many surfaces, breakfast was finally ready.   
  
Shinji sat down, taking a plate and one of the pile of pancakes that Asuka had fixed. Adding syrup, he took a bite, tasting what was her first attepmt at cooking since she moved in.  
  
The taste wasn't quite right, but it was better than he expected. Perhaps this wouldn't be as hard as he thought. "Not bad, Asuka, not bad at all."  
  
She beamed, throwing a genuine smile across the table at him. 


	3. Bring to a boil

Simmer Chapter 3-...bring to a boil...

After breakfast was cleaned up, (By Shinji, of course) Asuka asked him what he was going to teach her how to make.

The apron-clad boy grinned.  "It's a surprise, Asuka.  We have a lot of preparation to do for this.  As soon as we're finished here, we're going shopping."

The redhead's ears perked up at this.  "Shopping?"

"Not the way you think.  We have to go to several specialty stores for the ingredients.  But I promise you'll like it when it's done."

With that, he finished the last of the dishes, hung up the apron, and went to his room to change.  Asuka grabbed him on his way out of the kitchen, spinning him around to tell him something.  As she did so, he turned a little faster than she expected, and as a result they ended up about an inch from each other.  Asuka couldn't help but notice the deep blue color of Shinji's eyes, and breathing became a rather difficult process for her.  In fact, she forgot what she wanted to tell him entirely.

Shinji, whether through some miracle of understanding on his part, or just plain dumb luck, managed to play it cool.  He leaned in, so that his lips were almost touching her ear, and whispered, "I'll give you a hint, Asuka-chan.  It's going to be sweet.  Like you."

And with this, the Third Child turned and went to his room, leaving a blushing young girl in his wake.

***

Shinji shut the door behind him, and had to grasp onto the knob to keep his legs under him. 

_ I can't believe I just did that!_

 He had actually whispered in her ear, and she hadn't killed him.  But what really weakened his knees was the smell of her hair.  The scents of green tea and a hint of jasmine were intoxicating.  And if he was going to be teaching her how to cook in the apartment's tiny kitchen, he was going to smell a lot more of it...

With an effort, he put his thoughts back on track.  This was neither the time nor the place to lose focus on what he was planning on doing.  He had a lot to do today, and he was going to need all the concentration he could muster.

The recipe he had selected was quite different from anything he had ever attempted, but he was sure that he could handle it.  He had made his choice based on what he thought Asuka's tastes might gravitate towards, as well as the difficulty involved.  It wasn't a particularly hard recipe, but at the same time, it wasn't so easy as to be insulting to her intelligence.  An angry Asuka was about as bad as a frustrated one, so teaching her anything was going to be a delicate process.

Pulling out the cookbook, he began to make a shopping list.

Asuka hadn't moved from where Shinji had left her.  Her heart was still racing, as she recalled how close he had been, how blue his eyes were.  She had felt his breath on her ear as he had whispered into it.  The sensation was new to her, and the reaction to it completely unexpected.

_Shinji…what's happened to you?_

"Hey, let's go."

Asuka was abruptly snapped out of her daze by the request of the Third Child.  Shinji stood outside his room, jacket in hand.  "Are you ready?  We have to go shopping for tonight."

In a corner of her mind, she vaguely noted that the Shinji she knew would never be so bold.  One part of her was unnerved by him, while another was…something else.  Not scared, but something she couldn't quite place.  "Tonight?"

Shinji rolled his eyes.  "Yes, tonight.  I'm giving my first lesson in cooking, per Misato's orders.  Or did you forget?"

Her eyes narrowed.  But before she could let loose a choice stream of insults, the phone rang.  

Shinji held up a hand.  "I'll get it."  He picked it up. "Hello?....yes….yes, I understand….bye."

Shinji placed the handset back on the hook, his eyes taking on a distant look.  He looked…troubled by something that the caller had told him.  "What is it?"

He turned to Asuka, who was standing there expectantly, arms crossed over her breasts, eyebrow raised.  It was her classic 'superiority' pose.  "That was Misato, she said that Kaji and she were going out tonight, so we're on our own for dinner."

Asuka stood there, looking as if she hadn't quite heard him correctly.  "…Alone?"

"That's about the gist of it.  Come on, we need to get going if we're going to get everything we'll need."

With this, he grabbed her hand, pulling her out the door with him.  Asuka had little choice but to comply, as she was too shocked to do anything about the formerly spineless Shinji who was currently dragging her off to parts unknown.

A half hour later found them on a train, bound for the far side of Tokyo-3.  Asuka had asked Shinji where they were going, to no avail.  All he would say was "Trust me," and continue looking out the window.  She sat across the aisle from him, explaining that there was no was that she was going to sit next to such a pervert.

So she sat, looking at him, trying to decipher the mystery that was the Third Child.  She could think of nothing that would explain his drastic changes form his usual behavior, and this intrigued her.  

As she gazed at him, thinking she was doing so unnoticed, Shinji's eyes, seemingly looking out the window, were in actuality, focused on the reflection of the red-headed girl sitting across from him.  Positioned thus, he was able to see her expression as it truly was, and not the mask she seemed to present to him whenever they were face to face.  He noted that her face held none of the condescendence that it normally did, instead having an almost childlike expression of wonder and curiosity.  

He suppressed a smile.  Were she to be made aware that he was in fact watching her as she looked at him, she would likely pound him into a pulp, and them leave him on the train.  So he continued to appear as if he was lost in thought, while reflecting that Asuka was indeed beautiful when she wasn't screaming at the top of her lungs.  The way her hair fell down her back, a silken waterfall of crimson, the scent of which made him weak kneed.  The way her full lips curved upward in a gentle smile, which made his heart beat faster every time he saw it.  The blue of her eyes, a crystal blue that pulled him in every time he gazed into them, threatening to pull him under.  

Shinji allowed a slight smile to creep onto his face as he turned to her.  Immediately her face assumed it's normal expression concerning the Evangelion Pilot: a look of complete and utter disdain.  Normally, it would have hurt him.  But he had watched Asuka when she thought he wasn't looking, and he knew that the face he was seeing now wasn't the one she had presented to him just a few minutes ago.  "Do you think you're ready?"

Asuka smirked, a trademark curling of her upper lip as if to say, 'Are you kidding?' I am the Great Asuka Langley Soryu, Baka Shinji.  I can do anything you can."

_Is that so?_ He thought, all the time smiling at her.  Her smirk faded somewhat as he didn't lower his head as he normally would after one of her barbs.  "I'll have you know that cooking isn't just a skill, it's a form of art.  It's not something that you can just jump into and learn by watching.  So if you think that tonight is going to be you bossing me around, you are sorely mistaken."

Her jaw dropped, aghast at this overt display of authority.  "W-w-what!?" she sputtered, momentarily thrown off track by his seemingly growing a spine out of nowhere.

Shinji took a small pleasure in the fact that he had just rendered her somewhat speechless. _How I wish I could have done this months ago…  "You __are going to be learning, which means you're going to get your hands dirty.  You will mix, and blend, and stir, and whip, and when all is said and done, you will help clean up, because that's the difference between a chef and a cook._

She blinked at him.  "The difference being?"

Shinji gave her a tight smile.  "Anyone can be a chef, Asuka, because a chef has someone to clean up after him.  He takes no pleasure in his work, because most of the time, it isn't himself he's cooking for, but rather someone else.  A cook, on the other hand, cleans up after himself, and puts everything into his cooking, because its himself he's making food for."

Asuka had no time to argue, as the train came to a halt at the station.  Shinji rose, beckoning her to follow, as he led off.  

Several hours later, and two full bags of groceries, they stopped at a small café to have a drink before heading back home to begin.  Shinji suggested it, knowing that he would need something to calm his nerves.  Tonight was going to be a new experience, for both of them, and Shinji was in no mood to deal with a frustrated or patronized Asuka.

He stepped up to the counter, smiling at the young woman behind it.  "I'll have a cup of green tea."

She returned his smile and entered the order.  "Will that be all?"

"Whatever she orders, as well."  He stepped away, allowing Asuka a look at the selections.  A few minutes later, his tea was ready, and he took it, taking a small sip.  Perfect.

Asuka, meanwhile, was staring at the board, as if unsure what to order.  Shinji sipped his tea again, enjoying her indecision.  He waited a few more moments before speaking to the waitress.  

"She'll have a hot chocolate, touch of mint, and a hint of cinnamon."

The German narrowed her eyes.  "What do you think you're doing?"

"Ordering what you would have eventually ordered yourself."

Asuka glared at him for a few more seconds, before taking her drink, and selecting a window seat at the far edge of the establishment, as far away from the Third Child as she could.  Shinji smirked, and took his own seat, by the bar, where he could observe her.

Asuka stared out the window, much as Shinji had done on the train on the way over here.  But again, like Shinji, she wasn't staring out, but rather looking at the reflection of the young man behind her.  

_What's gotten into me?  I normally would pound him for doing something like that, and I barely even looked at him hard._  The fiery-haired young woman wasn't sure of the reasons behind her reticence to treat her roommate the way she normally did, but then again, she suspected that Shinji wasn't sure what to make of her newfound niceness, either.

So she sat, and observed him, sitting there, sipping his tea, his head no longer down, but upright, a confident expression on his face.  As she looked at him, she saw things, things she hadn't taken the time to notice before.  The way his bangs fell across his face, creating a neat kind of messiness that intrigued her, made him look mysterious.  The way his blue azure eyes took in everything around him, seeing all, and missing nothing.  A small part of her noted that that particular trait, he must have received from his mother; his father's eyes certainly held no warmth.  

Asuka felt a warm sensation spreading along her cheeks, and she was glad that she was facing the window.  The blush let her know that she wasn't looking at Baka Shinji anymore, but rather, Shinji Ikari, a handsome, intelligent, talented young man, whom she happened to live with.

And on top of all that, he was going to teach her how to cook, with no one else around, and no one to put up a façade for.

Asuka's lips turned upward in a gentle smile, and she drained the last of her hot chocolate.  Standing, she walked over to where the young man sat, taking a last sip of his tea.  Grabbing his arm, she dragged him out the door behind her, telling him in no uncertain terms that she was ready to go, and if he knew what was good for him, he would concur.

As the young couple left the café, the waitress behind the counter sighed.  _Ahh, to be young and in love…_

The train ride home was far different that the one they had taken earlier that day.  Instead of being two of the few people on the train, it was now packed with the rush-hour work crowd, heading home to their families.  Men in suits talked on cellular phones, jabbering away about this project and that deal, and their eyes held no light in them, for they were still at work, so far as they were concerned.

As a result, when Asuka and Shinji stepped into the train, there was just barely room for them to stand, close to one another, with Shinji behind Asuka, and her in front, her back turned to him.  There was no more than a few inches separating them, and Shinji was glad for that small margin of safety.  The day had gone well so far, and it would not do for Asuka to kill him for actually being in physical contact without her permission.

So when he felt her against him, he recoiled.  However, with the train as crowded as it was, there was nowhere for him to go, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable blow.

It never came.

He opened one eye cautiously, looking slightly downward.  A head of red hair greeted him, and looking closer, he saw her head was leaning against his chest.  A gently rising and falling of her chest, along with the fact that her eyes were closed, told Shinji that she had fallen asleep.  It took him a moment to relax, realizing that he wasn't about to be killed.  This information reassuring him, he took a long moment to look at the sleeping girl.

As he gazed upon her, it seemed that everything else simply faded out of view.  The other passengers, the voices, the ringing phones, the constant clacking of the rails.  None of it reached him.  His entire world, at that moment, consisted of the young woman sleeping against him.  Absentmindedly, he reached up with a free hand, and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face, blushing as he did so.  

Time passed, and as people began to get off, Shinji gently led Asuka to a seat.  She was still partially asleep, and mumbled something about staying as such for a few more minutes.  He sat her down, sitting beside him, and her head once again came to rest upon his shoulder.  She mumbled something else, something he couldn't quite make out, but her lips curved upward in a content-looking smile, and she fell asleep once again.  Shinji almost wished they could stay on the train, this was the first time anything even remotely like this had occurred, and he anted it to last as long as possible.  

But alas, their stop came, and he was forced to gently awaken the sleeping girl next to him.  She mumbled once more about having to wake up, rising groggily from her seat and making her way to the doors.  As she looked at her companion, she was surprised to see him looking not only confident, but relaxed as well.  _He looks altogether _too_ calm for someone about to try to teach me something._ She mused, some of her old attitude coming back.  Vaguely she wondered what could have happened to cause such serenity.  "Shinji," she said, a note of warning in her voice, "you didn't try to cop a feel on the train, did you?"

And he laughed.

The sheer unexpectedness of it threw her completely off guard, taking away any scathing comments she had ready had he answered in his usual fashion.  His laugh was clear, and relaxing in a way.  Before she knew it, she was joining him, her giggles surprising her as much as his had.  "No, Asuka, I didn't try anything on the train." He said, finally composing himself.  You fell asleep against me, that's all.  You look so cute when you sleep."

Again, she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks, although this time, it was matched by a blush from her compatriot.  She looked at him with scrutiny.  "How long have you been trying to say something like that?"

He looked back at her, completely serious.

"Since I met you."

She felt her face turning a shade of red that would put a tomato to shame.  

They entered the apartment, Shinji dropping the bags on the table, and making a quick stop in the bathroom.  Asuka began to unload everything from the bags, laying everything out neatly on the table, and wondering what in the world it was that Shinji was going to teach her how to make.  The only thing she could gather was that it might be a dessert, which pleased her.  She had been thinking that he would try to teach her to make some kind of Japanese food, but this looked more like-

"Hey!"

She turned to see him standing there, a mock-serious look on his face.  "No trying to guess what it is, you'll find out after you've made it."

"Hmph.  You better help, if you know what's good for you."

He smiled, reassuring her.  "I will, I will."  Walking over to her, he surveyed the kitchen, taking it in as if it were his personal kingdom.

Which for tonight, at least, it was.

"Ok.  Asuka, get out a medium-sized bowl.  We're going to start with the crust."

"Crust?"

"Trust me."

She complied, retrieving the bowl from it's place in the cabinet, while Shinji prepared the chocolate wafer crumbs, butter, and sugar.  When she sat the bowl in front of him, he grinned, and pushed it pack at her.  "Oh, no.  I said I'd help.  Now, take this stuff," he gestured to the three ingredients, "and mix them in that."

She looked at him.  "With what, my hands?"

She found herself looking at a grin that sent a shiver down her spine.  It wasn't a bad shiver, either.  "Yes, Asuka, with your hands.  Didn't you ever have Play-Doh as a kid?"

The glare he got back was answer enough.  Grumbling about doing 'kid stuff', she began to mash the three into a solid ball.  "Remember to mix them evenly, otherwise, the crust will burn in some places, and be raw in others."

Asuka tried again, and this time, the ball was a uniform color, ready to be pressed into the bowl.  "Okay, now flatten it out, and form it to the inside of the bowl.  After that, put it in the fridge, and we'll start on the cake-"

He stopped, realizing that he had just let slip a hint on his plan.  Asuka looked up from the bowl, a gleam in her eyes.  "What was that?"

Shinji nervously wringed his hands.  "Uhm, that was nothing.  I said that we can't be up late…"

Asuka looked at him, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.  "You said no such thing, baka.  I distinctly heard the word _cake_ in there somewhere.  Is that what we're making?"

"No."

Her premature smile began to fade.  If this was all some sort of joke…

"It's what _you're making."_

The smile returned fully, and before she knew what she was doing, she reached her arms around him and gave him a hug.  Almost as soon as she did so, she released him, a blush showing her embarrassment at her sudden showing of affection for the young Ikari.  Still standing close to him, she asked, "But if I'm making a cake, what are we eating for dinner?"

Uh-oh.

_Dinner?_

In all his planning, he had forgotten this minor detail.  Fortunately for him, a certain NERV Major was not the operations director for nothing.  As Shinji pondered this, the doorbell rang.  Almost thankful for the reason to get out of such close proximity to the Second Child, he went to answer it, calling over his shoulder as he went.  "Don't worry, we'll think of something!"

As he reached the entryway, he wondered who it could be.  Misato was out with Kaji, so that precluded both of them from being possibilities.  Rei?  He dismissed the thought.  As much as he cared for the pale-skinned enigma, he couldn't imagine her coming over on a whim.  A small part of him wondered if she even _had_ whims.

Touji or Kensuke?  Either one of them would have called, and neither had.  So, with no idea who was standing on his front porch, he opened the door.

A young man stood there, about twenty years of age, and in his hands, he held a bag that smelled suspiciously of lasagna.  "Uh, I have a delivery here for a Shinji Ikari?"

Shinji thought back.  He had made no such order, and even if he had, he had spent all of his available money on the ingredients for Asuka's cake.  "I think there might be a mistake…"

"There's a note included, from a Misato Katsuragi, and the bill is already paid."

Dumbfounded, he took the food, thanking the man.  Closing the door, he carefully set the bag down, and read the note.

_Shinji,_

_   I didn't think you'd have time to cook dinner and try to teach Asuka at the same time, so this should help.  If she asks, you can take the credit, Casanova.  Good luck!_

_     -Misato_

He looked at the note, wondering how in the world she could have known.  It occurred to him that perhaps she had been paying more attention than he gave her credit for.  Shrugging and giving a silent thanks to his guardian, he returned to the kitchen to find Asuka getting out a variety of spoons and other utensils.  "I told you there was no need to worry, Asuka," as he set the food on the counter.  "We'll finish up on the crust and filling, and then eat while it chills."

His female companion raised an eyebrow.  "We?"

He smiled.  "I'm going to taste everything to make sure it's all right."

She raised a hand in mock anger. "You!"  

With that, she began to hit him in the shoulder.  Not hard, but enough to know that she didn't appreciate his attempt at humor.  He laughingly took his blows, grinning and chuckling the whole time.

After Shinji put the lasagna in the oven to keep it warm,  he supervised Asuka as she finished the preparations for the dessert.  Though she knew it to be some type of cake, she had no idea as to exactly what kind it was.  When Shinji took over to prepare the topping, she was almost disappointed.  It had actually been quite a learning experience for them both, and Asuka proved to be a receptive student, listening to him, and occasionally giving him a smile as a reward when he showed her something she particularly liked.

Fascinated, she watched as he pulled the baking sheet of chocolate from the freezer, and set it down.  This done, he took a flat knife, and began to use it to make curls, pushing it along the sheet, and causing a curling flake of chocolate to appear at the end of the knife.  Asuka immediately took the first one, popping in into her mouth.  "Mmmm." She purred, in a voice that would likely keep her teacher awake for a good portion of the night.

Shinji, for his part, decided to have a little fun himself.  The next piece of chocolate came off the sheet, and he wrapped it carefully around the tip of his index finger, making it look almost like a sugary ring.  He held it up for her to see.  "Would you like another?"

Asuka allowed a tight smile to creep onto her features.  Little did he know.

Taking the proffered finger, she slowly raised it to her lips.  As Shinji's heart rate began to increase at a geometric rate, she seductively placed it inside her mouth, using her tongue to melt the chocolate curl around his digit before licking it clean.  

As she took his finger from her lips, she could see that his face was past scarlet, and was rapidly approaching vermillion.  His eyes were closed, and she could see that his breathing was rapid and shallow.  _That's for this morning, Third Child._

Shinji slowly opened his eyes, still not quite believing what had just transpired between him and the Second.  He was still trying to gain control of his breathing, and his heart was racing far faster than it had this morning when _he_ had been the initiator.  He looked at her, fully expecting to see an arrogant smirk.

Asuka simply stood there, a smile on her face.  Shinji, seeing this, took an involuntary step towards her, and when she didn't move away, began to lean in toward her.  

She mirrored him, slowly moving towards Shinji, her breathing quickening as well, eyes closing as the distance between their lips decreased.  She could feel his breath, and her thoughts were a storm.  _Why am I doing this?  Do I even _want_ to do this?_

RRRIIIINNNNGGGG

The two jerked apart, breathing heavily, and not sure why.  Shinji was the first to recover, stammering.  "T..the timer…"

Asuka felt…almost disappointed.  

**A/N**

Well, another chapter finished, and the next should be the last.  This has been fun to write, and I hope it's been as much fun to read.  Kudos to Andris for being my prereader and confidante for this chapter, as well as the crew at #fanfics.

Ja!


	4. Have your cake and eat it too

Simmer Chapter 4 – Have Your Cake and Eat it too…

Asuka watched as Shinji removed the cake from the oven, and set it carefully in the refrigerator, letting it cool before serving it. 

_So close_

She had to stop herself from gasping at this unsummoned thought.  Did she actually want to kiss him?  Thinking harder on it, she could arrive at no definite answer, and this troubled her.  While one side of her still saw him as the spineless wimp that she had worked with for over a year now, that side was slowly being silenced by the part of her that was beginning to see him for what he really was: a handsome young man, growing into his role as a pilot, and a damn good cook to boot.

She had known a lot of so called 'men' in college that weren't half the man Shinji would be.  They were all concerned with two things.  Sex and partying.  It was all so boring to her, and after dating a few of them, she had sworn off boyfriends completely.  Until she met Kaji, that was.

Kaji was what she thought the ideal man should be.  Tall, strong, attractive, and sexy.  And while Kaji was undeniably all of these, he was also involved with Misato.  It had taken her a while to accept that he would never be hers, and that he saw her as possibly a little sister.  

She remembered with a frown the way she had tried to seduce him on the _Over the Rainbow_.  It had been so childish of her, and also had probably given a perceived image of herself to him.  

Closing her eyes, she pushed the memory aside.  It would do no good to dwell on past mistakes when she had a chance to rectify them in the present.  "Shinji?"

He looked up. "Yes, Asuka?"

"I'm hungry."

Shinji smiled.  "Go wait in the living room, Asuka, and I'll clean up and set the table.  I'll call you when it's ready."

_Shinji's POV_

I watched as she left the kitchen, her hair flowing behind her in a scarlet sheet.  Suppressing a sigh, I turned to survey the kitchen, and the mess that remained from her efforts.  While Asuka might not be the tidiest person in the kitchen, she was certainly the most attractive.

Cleaning up took the better part of twenty minutes, during which I thought on my current situation.  Asuka and I were getting closer, that was undeniable.  But how close we would get was the unknown in this equation.  While I would certainly welcome the chance to become closer to my roommate and fellow pilot, what I would do in such a situation was beyond me.  I had managed to bluff my way through it so far, but it had been half in jest.  I had had no illusions about her actually following through on anything that I had instigated, and now that it appeared that she might after all, I would have to tread quite carefully indeed.

I finished the last of the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, my hands a bit wrinkled from the dishwater.  Closing the door, I started the machine, it's soothing back and forth sounds helping to calm my inner turmoil.  I wasn't even sure how to proceed with dinner now, not wanting to make the wrong impression, but not wanting to waste the chance either.

Wiping the small table down, I decided on a quiet setting that had the potential to be romantic, but didn't try to force it on the inhabitants.  I laid the white tablecloth down, smoothing the wrinkles out of it, and thought of how I would act now.  Would she like water or maybe a glass of wine?  A large serving or small?  Should I pull her chair out or let her do it herself?

So many questions, the least of which being those pertaining to dinner.  What about afterwards, after we were done eating, and after my assignment to teach her was effectively finished?  Would she go back to treating me the way she always had?  Would her only words to me start with 'baka' and end with some unidentifiable but vicious sounding German curse?

Would she even allow me to be her friend at all?

So many things had happened in the past year, so many little incidents to serve to push us farther apart.  First, my sync ratio.  I remembered all too well how angry she had been when she had found out that I had somehow miraculously synchronized with the Evangelion on my first try, when it had taken her months just to walk.  I recalled rather vividly how mad she had been after I had saved her from the volcano, after she had resigned herself to dying after defeating the Angel.  I had deliberately disobeyed a direct order from my superior officer, though I doubted that she knew that.  Misato had been both angry and pleased at the same time afterwards, angry for my insolence, and pleased that I had saved her life.

I remembered the time that we had had to train for three days to synchronize with each other to defeat the Seventh.  Those three days were, at the time, both the worst and best of my life, for the fact that I had been in such close proximity with her.  At times it had been nothing more than an increase in the usual amount of insults she gave me, but that one night, that one night when she had sleepwalked her way to my futon, and I had nearly kissed her.  I had realized then, after she had murmured 'momma' that she was nothing more than a child herself.  While she would be loath to admit this, I knew it all the same.

I hadn't kissed her then, but later on, she had kissed me, holding my nose closed to keep my breath from tickling her.  It had been pleasant, until my face started turning blue from lack of oxygen.  Afterwards, she had rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and gargle with mouthwash.

I don't think I had ever felt so useless.  I mean, Father had brought me here simply because he 'had a use for me'.  But with Asuka, it hurt more, because she would act smooth and sultry one minute, and hit or insult me the next.  I felt like an idiot at times for thinking that maybe, maybe, she liked me.  

But the times when she smiled, regardless of who the smile was directed at, warmed my heart.  I used to imagine that she was smiling at me, smiling at something I did, or perhaps something I said.  It helped me through some of the tougher times, and gave me a sense of purpose.

Because in the year I had lived with her, in the year that I had know and worked with her, I had realized something.

I was falling in love with her.

I finished up my preparations for dinner, hoping that everything would meet her approval, and drew a shaky breath.

"Asuka, dinner's ready!"

_Asuka's POV_

I paced my room, wondering for probably the tenth time what was taking so long for Shinji to get dinner ready.  I mean, the stuff was already cooked, how much time did it take to dish it onto a plate and set in on a table?

I sighed, trying to guess what Misato and Kaji were doing right now.  They were probably enjoying a nice, romantic meal, in some nice restaurant, and she was probably wearing a nice dress, and Kaji was probably wearing a nice jacket, and they were probably having a nice time.  Meanwhile, here I was, in a old pair of jeans, and a sweatshirt stained with the labors of earlier, waiting for Shinji to tell me that dinner was ready.

Maybe someday, I'd get a nice, romantic meal from someone that could treat me like a lady should be treated, someone that knew the pleasures of simple conversation, without trying to have an ulterior motive, like a nightcap, or sex.  Those kind of guys were rare in the world.  In fact, I only knew of one that resembled it, and he was currently preparing dinner in the kitchen-

It hit me like a lighting bolt, the realization that Shinji Ikari, Evangelion pilot, cellist, roommate, and son of Commander Ikari was everything I was looking for.  And I had been living with him for over a year now, using him to pump up my own fragile ego, cutting him down to make myself look all the better.  I had insulted him, demeaned him, abused and used him.

A tear slid down my cheek, as I recalled how I had treated him after he had saved my life.  I had only been concerned that Misato had used my imminent death to showcase NERV's greatest weapon again.  Afterwards, I hadn't even thanked him, instead insulting him again and storming off.  He had saved my _life, the greatest thing that a person can do for another, short of dying for them, and he'd come awfully close to that as well.  After all, he had had no protective equipment when he dove into the lava, nothing between him and the murderous heat that had nearly boiled _me_ alive._

And afterwards, he hadn't gotten angry at my lack of gratitude, hadn't yelled, or pouted, but simply took it in stride.  Like he was used to it.  As he probably was.

I made the decision then and there that things were going to be different from now on, that I wasn't going to treat him like shit, but instead like another person.  I mean, hell, his own father had used him, coerced him into piloting by acting as if he was going to have Wondergirl pilot again.  And he had had no training, no preparation for what he was going up against.  He must have been scared to death.  And while I never would have admitted it, when we went up against the sixth angel, I was scared too.  I was more scared than I had ever been in my life.  

Having him in the cockpit, nestled behind me, I was reassured that somehow, some way, everything would turn out okay.  It was as if I had a guardian angel watching over me.  When his hands had rested over my own, right before the battleships rammed the Angel's mouth, I had felt a tingle of warmth, of pleasantness come over me.  His hands fitted mine perfectly.  And he had looked pretty good in that red plugsuit too…

The blush that came over me was sudden, and I started to change out of my clothes, determined to make things right between us tonight.  Because after all, I could still have fun with him, so long as I rewarded him later.

A few minutes later, I was putting some finishing touches on my hair when I heard Shinji.

"Asuka, dinner's ready!"

Shinji waited patiently for Asuka in the kitchen, the soft light from the candles flickering gently over the small room, throwing shadows in abstract patterns that made him think about the refractive effects that light had when seen through a glass of water-

"Shinji?"

His train of thought broken, he looked up at the sound of her voice.

And what was left of that train was completely derailed.  Asuka stood there, her hair down, the A-10 neural connectors gone, allowing the locks to flow freely.  She was no longer dressed as she had been when she left the room.  A sleek, red dress clung to her body, the hem coming nearly to her ankles, a long slit running up one side, making for a nice mixture of modest and sexy.

Her mouth was hanging slightly open, apparently she hadn't expected this.  Or had she?  After all, there was absolutely no reason for her to be wearing such a nice dress for what was to be an ordinary dinner.  Unless for some reason she didn't see it that way.

"Shinji, is this all…for me?"

Her voice held a note of wonder, and Shinji felt a smile coming on.  He had expected anger, sarcasm, and possible violence.  

He hadn't expected happiness.

She slowly approached the table, and he pulled out her chair, allowing her to sit.  She gracefully took her seat, and unfolded the napkin that was placed to the side of her plate, spreading it across her lap.  "So," she murmured, "what's the deal with all this?"

It was a measure of his bewilderment that she wasn't displeased that he didn't answer immediately.  "I..I just wanted to say thank you for being such a good student."

She looked at him with an indescribable expression.  "Well, you're an exceptional teacher, Shinji." She replied, a smile gracing her face, the candlelight highlighting her full lips and blue eyes.  "You know, I've never had someone do something so nice for me.

"I've treated you like complete garbage since the day I met you, Shinji.  I've done nothing even remotely nice for you, and you still have the courtesy to make me a wonderful dinner."

She took a bite of the lasagna, chewing thoughtfully.  "I don't think that anyone else would have been able to stand it.  You are truly an exceptional person, Shinji Ikari."

To his credit, Shinji managed to keep his jaw from falling.  Sure, he had enjoyed the relatively pleasant company that she had provided him over the past couple of days, as opposed to her usual attitude, but never had he once expected her to say something like _that_.

Sampling his own plate, he found the lasagna good; Misato must have ordered from one of the better places in the city.  He swallowed, taking a sip of water to wash it down.  "Asuka, I…"

She held up a hand.  "I'm not finished, Shinji," she said, some of the old fire lighting up her eyes.  "I've been completely unbearable to be around since I've moved in.  I've used you, and I've hurt you."  A tear fell from her eye, a glittering drop that struck the tablecloth, leaving a small spot on it's otherwise pristine surface.  "Why?"

It took him a second to understand what she said, her voice was little more than a whisper.  "Asuka…I don't understand."

"Why are you so nice to me, Shinji?"  The tears were starting to flow freely now.  "Why the _hell don't you hate me?"_

So that was it.

Reaching across the tiny table, careful not to knock over the candle, he placed a hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.  "Asuka, I don't hate you.  I don't even dislike you."  Dimly aware of anything but the sensation of her hand under his, he continued.  "I think that you're a wonderful person Asuka.  Underneath all that pain, all that hardship, is a great person, trying to get out.

"I'm just trying to help."

It was more than the young girl could take.  That someone whom she had treated so badly could still care for her so much.  Asuka leapt from her chair, knocking it over in the process, and flew into the surprised you man's arms.  Shinji carefully placed one hand at the small of her back, making small circles, while the other stroked her hair.  His shoulder grew wet from her tears, as she sobbed.  "I-I-"

Her arms wrapped around him, holding on for dear life, as if he was the only anchor that was keeping her afloat in a raging sea of emotion.  "Shhh," he murmured in her ear, holding her gently.  "It's ok, Asuka.  It's ok."

They remained like that long into the night.

Misato Katsuragi was feeling the pain of a long night of drinking when Kaji Ryoji dropped her off at her apartment the next day.

Entering the small apartment, she expected to find the remnants of a cooking disaster.  Surprise broke through the haze as she walked into a spotless kitchen, everything put away and cleaned.  There was absolutely no sign that a supposedly spineless wimp had tried to teach the great Asuka Soryu Langely how to cook.

Looking in the refrigerator for a beer, however, she found a cake.  It was untouched, yet looked absolutely delicious.  Taking it out, she set in on the counter, momentarily forgetting the beer.  

Shinji Ikari awoke in his room, wondering if last night had been a dream.

The soft weight on his chest, and the scattering of red hair under his chin assured him that it hadn't been.  

Asuka was snoring softly, her breathing deep and even.  She was snuggled up against him, her body warm, and her face content.  A gentle smile was on her face, and he had never seen her so beautiful as she was in that moment.  

Shinji couldn't help himself.  Leaning his head down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, eliciting a sleepy mumble at having to wake up.  Her eyes slowly opened, their blue depths meeting his own.  Her smile grew even bigger as she gave him a squeeze, her arms wrapping around him as if her were some sort of giant teddy bear.  "Good morning," she whispered, resting her head against his chest once again.  "Did you sleep ok?"

Actually, he had.  Used to having to drown out his thought with the drone of his DAT player, he found that he felt more rested than he had in a long time.  Sleep didn't come easily to him, and last night, he was free from the nightmares that normally plagued his mind.

"Yes, Asuka-chan."  

His eyes widened.  He hadn't even thought about what he'd said.

His fears subsided, as she looked up once again.  "That's good, Shinji-kun."

She sat up, grinning.  "Come on, sleepy head!  I'm hungry!  You can teach me how to make waffles!"

"Sleepy-head?  I woke up before you did!"

Laughing, the two made their way towards the kitchen.  They entered it to find an empty cake platter, and one very asleep and content looking NERV Major, chocolate smudged around the corners of her mouth.  The Children's jaws dropped as the took in the scene.

As one, they yelled.  "MISATO!!!"

~The End~

Author's Notes

Well, I finally finished it, as I've promised.  I wanted the ending to be happy, and for Shinji and Asuka to get together, obviously.  I know that this is a rather short fic, but I'm still new as an author, and learning to flesh out my stories more than I have been.  While I really want to write an epic, 40+ chapter saga, I'm simply not ready as a writer to do so yet, though I'm working on an idea for one as you read this.  I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.  I had no idea that this would have the feedback that it did, garnering over 70 reviews, and helping to make me a better writer.

As with most things, lots of thanks are in order.  I want to thank Andris, Corvus, Phht, gbeans, and NefCanuck for helping me with this story.  Their continued harassment to finish this has helped me to do so.  Thanks to Danielle, my girlfriend, for being one of my chief editors.  You've helped me more than you know, babe.  

A very special thanks to all the reviewers.  If it wasn't for all of those comments and thoughts, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish this.

A side story, mayhaps of a lemony nature, _may be in the works.  As for when it would be out, I can't say, as I have never written such a work before.  _

Last but not least, thanks to Random1377 and Lord Deatscythe, for their support and inspiration.  You can find their works at www.evafics.org and www.darkscribes.org 

Thank you for coming, and goodnight, ladies and gentlemen.  Kumo has left the building.


End file.
